There are two questions I would like to address in reltion to the August 9, 2022, General Election in Kenya. First, what is the purpose of a democratic election? Second, what defines good political leadership?
The purpose of any democratic election is to give an opportunity to citizens to exercise their right of electing good political leaders to exercise executive authority on their behalf.
Good political leadership is that which will deliver political goods that include security, stability, socioeconomic growth and innovations required to improve the productivity of factors of production; in a manner compatible with the principles of service to the people and for their well-being and benefit.
Therefore, the expected outcomes of the election will meet the purpose of a democratic election and determine the delivery of political goods. Kenyans must aim at electing good political leaders who will get to the root causes of symptoms or consequences of the high cost of living, unemployment, poverty, human and property insecurity, and breakdown in the administration of justice and rule of law.
Infotrak Voice of the People Poll released in December 2021 revealed that there is a link between Kenyans' sadness and pessimism, and outcomes of free and fair general elections. To turn around the wrong direction the country has been facing since the outcomes of general elections held in 2007, 2013 and 2017, Kenyans should have convergence views on what defines good political leadership.
In my view, good political leadership would reverse within three years the wrong direction Kenya is heading. The consequences include bad governance, government mismanagement, rampant corruption, and slow speed of recovery from the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
B. Pac expressed on July 24, 2020, that, “The World is brimming with ambitious political leaders, but sadly very few matchups to the traits of good leadership.”
To paraphrase this view—good political leadership requires a leader to focus on a country’s long-term betterment, and beyond any short-term personal gains to be elected; a mixture of charm to win elections honestly, and the capacity to evaluate a circumstance and make a judgement based on what will be better for the majority.
Above all, good political leadership should be elected in a transparent, free and fair democratic system; and qualifications should include statesmanship, not just a shrewd politician. This implies integrity, honesty and the ability to stand up for what is fair, even if it means resigning from a government post or losing an election.
May I suggest that all voters in Kenya should behave as if they are members of an interview panel and rank all political leaders vying for political leadership using good political leadership criteria. For the sake of future generations, voters should not be hoodwinked by factors relating to the quality of manifestos that are unenforceable social contracts, bribery and occasional violence during campaign rallies.
Life is difficult for citizens worldwide and is expected to get worse due mainly to external factors such as weak democratic elections, negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, imported inflation, and the Russian-Ukraine war; among other endemic factors.
Endemic factors awaiting a new government to address include government mismanagement; grand corruption in both national and county governments; impunity in dispensing justice; and weak accountability to the people of Kenya.
Therefore Kenyan voters are urged to vote wisely to avoid electing misleaders. Dr Bishop Henry Okulu, in his book Church and State in Nation Building and Human Development, states that, “A leader would certainly become a ‘misleader’ so long as he does not clearly refuse to become the idol of the lead.”
Kenyans must oversight the IEBC to put in place transparent, free and fair electoral systems that meet the purpose of democratic election to create an environment of electing good political leadership.
A leadership that will form a legitimate and strong government to inspire Kenyans to fairly reward and restore the dignity of work, so as to deliver the vision crafted at the dawn of Independence—namely to fight ignorance, diseases and hunger.
These problems leave citizens vulnerable to a range of political and economic shocks.
Consultant in finance, governance and devolution
